Operating-table for osteopathic treatment.



W. O. GALBREATH.

OPERATING TABLE FOR OSTEOPATHIO TREATMENT.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 6, 1909.

Patented 8611117, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' W. 0. GALBRBATHQ OPERATING TABLE FOR OSTEOPATHIO TREATMENT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1909. 933, 1 70. Patented Sept, 7, 1909.

2 BHBETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY WILLIAM oTIs GALBREATIT, or" PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

OPERATING-TABLE non osTnoPATHro TREATMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. '7, 1909.

Application filed April 6, 1909. Serial No. 488,209.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WIL I M OTIs GAL- BREATH, citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in city of Philadelphia, State of Penn- 1 sylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating-Tablesfor; OsteopathicTreatment, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had. to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object to provide an operating table of suchcharacter as will enable the effective and convenient administration toa patient recumbent thereon the physical treatment usual in the practiceof osteopathy and other alleged sciences that depend upon mechanicalmanipulation for therapeutic results; and to that end my inventionconsistsof an operating table having the characteristicfeatures ofconstruction and mode of operation hereinafter 'described, the novelfeatures of the device, both elementally and in combination beingpointed out in the appendedclaims.

1n the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention :Figure l is aplan view of the device, in distended position; Fig. 2 a side elevationof the same, showing also in dotted lines the initial position of thehead rest. Figs. 3 and 4 are side and end elevations, respectively, ofremovable parts. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the devicein initial position, and Fig. 6 a like view in distended position of thehead rest. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of the device, through lineab of Fig. 1, but with the parts in folded position.

Referring now to said drawings, the support for the body or trunk of thepatient is a flat board of a suitable length and width, relatively tothat of a human body, as indicated in the several figures. It ispreferably covered on its upper surface with a padded cover as indicatedat 1 in Fig. 7,

and preferably constructed in two parts or sections of about equallength, indicated at 1*, l the parts being hinged together as at 2 inorder that the end section 1 may be folded under the forward section 1,as shown in Fig. 7, for convenience of transportation or for occupyingless room when not in use.

At various points in the length of the body support 1, 1 and about thelongitudinal center thereof, are two rows of parallel apertures,indicated at 3 in Fig. 1, in any lengthwise 1316068 l are provided withp1ns l (see Figs.

contiguous two of which, a removable supporting piece 4: is detachablyplaced, in position. These supporting 3 and l) which enter the aperturesin the body rest 1 1 and it will be observed that 'apair of thesesupporting pieces, placed as indicated in the several figures, will bebrought under the trunk of the patient and on each side of the spinalcolumn, for the purpose hereinafter mentioned.

It is essential that the device shall have a movable head rest and alsothat the body rest ortable 1 1 shall be movable into a slightly inclinedposition from the forward to the rearward end. The head rest indicatedat 5 is a flexible strap, preferably made ofsoft leather, with aplurality of eyeleted apertures 6 at each end (see Fig. 2) and ofconsiderable length so that it will sag to as much as a semi circlebetween its end supports to conveniently and effectively support andhold the head of the patient in the region of the upper part of hisneck. The supports for the opposite ends of the flexible head restconsist of a pair of movable metallic arms 7 on the free end of which isan inwardly projecting short hook 8 adapted to enter any one of theeylete'd aperatures 6 in the strap 5 to shorten or lengthen the headsupport. These metallic arms 7 7 are apertured at several places, asindicated at 8 8 8 to receive a bearing bolt and nut 9, in any one ofthem, to give said arms a pivotal bearing; the bolt entering and passingthrough a suitable recess 9 extending transversely through the section 1of the body rest (see Fig.1). Between the shorter ends of the twometallic arms, and hence disposed beneath the section 1 of the bodyrest, is mounted a roller 10 the axle of which, at each end thereof,enters a recess 10 in end of each arm 7 and is held in place therein bya nut 11 in such manner as to give a pivotal bearing for said arm androller.

The operation is as follows :The device being placed in initialoperative position, as shown in Fig. 5, with the head-supporting strapadjusted to suitable length, the removable back-supporting piece 4located in suitable apertures in the body support, and the are ofmovement of the actuating metallic arms 7 adjusted as aforesaid, thepatient is placed in position as shown in Fig. l; whereupon a gradualmovement of the roller inwardly will tend to decrease the incline of CIDthe body rest 1 1 moving the body of the patient over theback-supporting pieces, moving the flexible head rest outwardly andexercising the muscles and extending the neck of the patient; saideffects being repeated by reversing the direction of movement of theroller and repeating the original direction of movement.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An operatingtable of the class recited comprising a horizontally-disposed supportingmember for the body, a transversely-disposed roller beneath the same,and journal bearings therefor consisting of a pair ofVertically-disposed arms with means to pivotally support the same on theopposite sides of the body-supporting member.

2. An operating table of the class recited con'iprising ahorizontally-disposed supporting member for the body, atransversely-disposed roller beneath the same, adjustable journalbearings therefor, consisting of a pair of vertically-disposed arms withmeans to pivotally support the same on the' opposite sides of thebody-supporting member.

3. An operating table of the class recited comprising ahorizontally-disposed supporting member for the body, atransversely-disposed roller beneath the same, journal bearings thereforconsisting of a pair of Vertically-disposed arms with means to pivotallysupport the same on the opposite sides of the body supporting member,and a head rest consisting of a flexible band having its opposite endsattached to the free ends of said vertically-disposed arm.

4. An operating table of the class recited comprising ahorizontally-disposed support ing member for the body, atransversely-disposed roller beneath the same, journal bearings thereforconsisting of a pair of vertically-disposed arms with means to pivotallysupport the same on the opposite sides of the body-supporting member,and a head rest consisting of a flexible band with means to adjustablyattach its opposite ends to the free ends of said ertically-disposedarms.

5. An operating table of the class recited comprising ahorizontally-disposed supporting member for the body, the upper surfaceof which is suitably apertured, a supplemental body-supporting memberadapted to be detachably mounted in any of such apertures, atransversely-disposed roller beneath the main body-supporting member,journal bearings for said roller consisting of a pair ofvertically-disposed arms with means to pivotally connect the same withopposite sides of the main body-supporting member, and means providing amovable head-rest operatively mounted between the free ends of saidvertically-disposed arms.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature this 29th dayof March A. D. 1909.

\VILLIAM OTIS GALBREATH.

\Vitnesses A. M. BIDDLE, R. A. DUNLAP.

